We may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Learn more.

Smashen an Ashen One – Dark Souls III patch adds new PvP maps and buffs big weapons

Dark Souls 3

Dark Souls III’s second and last piece of DLC, The Ringed City, is right around the corner, being due for release on March 28. In anticipation, FromSoftware’s action-RPG is getting a new patch.

We – by which I mean, I – thought Dark Souls III was one of the best games of last year.

The patch will be deployed on March 24 at 14:00 GMT – that’s 15:00 CET and 19:00 PST – with servers down for maintenance on the same day from 08:00 to 10:00 GMT.

The patch adds two new PvP maps and some new PvP functionality, plus a host of bug fixes and balance tweaks. Some of those tweaks focus on the poise attribute, which was bafflingly ineffective when the game first released but was “re-enabled” in October last year.

The post, by Bandai Namco community manager Kimundi, says we’ll know soon whether the patch will allow us to pre-load the Ringed City DLC.

Highlight announcements from the patch notes are:

  • Dragon Ruins and Grand Roof maps will be added to Undead Match
  • When matching with passwords in Undead Match, players can now split into teams, and teams can match with different passwords
  • Poise will be applied during greatlance two-handed attack, spin sweep attack, and Dark Hand’s lifedrain skill
  • Most notable weapon buffs:
    • Improved normal attack motion for ultra greatswords, great hammers and curved greatswords
    • Decreased stamina depletion when using ultra greatswords, great hammers, great axes
    • Curved greatsword attack power increased
    • Shortsword attack power increased (critical hit power nerfed to remain the same)
  • Notable nerfs:
    • Carthus rouge bleed build-up decreased
    • “Extended time” – presumably cast time – when using Gnaw, Dorhys’ Gnawing and Wrath of the Gods miracles
  • Improved attack power, but decreased duration, of poison

Check the announcement on Steam for the full list of patch notes.